Families: Birthdays
by MavenAlysse
Summary: Family isn't always blood-relations. Family are those you gather about you to help share joys and halve sorrows.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story that used to be on an old geocities site that became defunct several years ago – I rediscovered it, did some minimal editing, and decided to re-post it onto .

Greetings and Salutations.

I wish to welcome you to my very first (long) Kung Fu: The Legend Continues fan fiction story entitled, Families: Birthdays. I did not create these characters (except for Cassandra) and I am not writing these stories for a profit. I give humble thanks to Michael Sloan for creating these characters and allowing us to have so much fun with them, and to Chris Potter, David Carradine, and all the rest of the cast for bringing them to life.

I had the idea for this story after I watched the episode Kung Fu Blues. I thought to myself - geez, isn't there something that Caine _can't_ do? He seemed able to do everything and anything. I wanted Peter to be able to do something that Caine couldn't, so I decided to introduce a deaf girl into Peter's life. Peter would know sign language where Caine wouldn't. I got halfway through writing it when I finally saw the episode Banker's Hours. Yikes! I was all ready to scrap the entire thing when Aislinn (my inspiration, my foster mother, and my wonderful editor and bouncing board) told me not to quit. I could still have my idea - Peter would just be _better_ at sign than Caine. He and Cassandra could have been the ones to teach Caine! (Which is all explained in the sequel if I ever get the thing finished - it's a monster so far.) After thinking about it (granted, it didn't take too much persuading, Cassandra wouldn't let me stop the story - she's persistent that way ::grin::) I decided to complete it.

Many thanks to my wonderful beta readers (especially to JeanneM and James Long) who did what they could to help me polish this and to Aislinn, who didn't let me give it up.

Families: Birthdays

Central Characters: Peter Caine, Kermit Griffin, Cassandra

Minor Characters: Mary Margaret Skalany, Annie Blaisdell, Kelly Blaisdell, Caroline and Todd McCall, Lo Si, Paul Blaisdell (only over the phone)

Guest stars: three thugs, a mysterious Mr. V.

Time Frame: Anytime after Caine shows up into Peter's life, but before Banker's Hours.

Synopsis: Peter's birthday is coming up. A girl from his past shows up in his life again; allowing him to keep his mind off the fact that both his fathers are gone on this special day. Not much action. Basically, a day in the life.

Comments, constructive criticisms, and praise (praise is always nice) can be directed to me by clicking on the 'review button' at the bottom.

1998 MavenAlysse

"All learning begins with these two phrases: I don't know. Let's find out!"

Families: Birthdays

Place: Oakwell Home for Children Date: June 1978

Peter Caine had been here for less than a month - and hated every moment of it. He didn't fit in, not even here among the lost and forsaken ones. His upbringing was too different for the others to accept. The way he spoke, the way he looked, the way he moved, all were subjected to the cold disapproval of the "regular" kids. He'd gotten into quite a few fights already, the older boys letting up on him gradually as it became apparent that they weren't going to be able to beat him up easily. He gave better than what he got.

Peter sat in one of the trees overlooking the entrance way to the grounds. The position was close enough that he could see anyone who came out of the building, as well as hear what might be said without being spotted himself. Usually, no one bothered him here. The adults largely ignored him as long as he stayed out of trouble, and that's how he wanted it for now. His curiosity was piqued when a police car drove up to the orphanage's gate. 'Another inmate,' he thought sardonically.

The police officer got out of the car and opened the back door. Peter watched in interest as a young girl stepped out of the car, a brown teddy bear clutched under one arm and a backpack slung on the other. She looked about seven or eight, had long blonde hair and green eyes. He noticed that she wore a brightly colored scarf about her neck.

The Home's director, Mr. Gillus, came out of the building to welcome the new arrival. "Ah, you must be Cassandra Caine." Peter's ears perked up. 'Caine? Well, what do you know?' Mr. Gillus continued. "Come inside. Thank you officer, I'll handle everything from here on."

The officer tipped his hat at the director, then made a gesture towards the little girl. Cassandra nodded solemnly, waved, and started up the steps. Just before she entered the building, Cassandra turned and looked up at Peter. He was stunned as she smiled slightly at him, then followed Mr. Gillus inside.

Peter wasn't there when Mr. Gillus introduced Cassandra to the rest of the kids. He had kitchen clean-up duty due to his last fight. After lights out, he found he couldn't sleep. He sat beside the window looking outside, glad that none of the monitors seemed particularly diligent tonight. A sudden movement caught his eye. One of the kids was wandering about outside. 'Man, they're gonna get into so much trouble if they're caught.' The clouds parted and the moonlight shone a bit brighter. Peter could make out the features of the young girl who had arrived that day. 'What is she doing out there?' The girl came to a large tree and huddled in a small ball beside it. Concerned, Peter slipped on his tennis shoes and climbed out the window using the lattice work on the side of the building as a ladder.

He walked up beside the girl and whispered, "Hey, are you okay?" Receiving no answer he frowned, knelt beside her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Cassandra whirled about, terror in her eyes. She pressed herself up against the tree away from him. Peter noticed that she had been crying. He withdrew his hand and made a calming gesture. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

She stared at him suspiciously for a moment, then nodded and wiped the tears off her face with a sleeve. The two children stood up and watched each other for a moment in silence. Peter grinned and stuck out a hand. "My name's Peter Caine. I saw you come in today. You're Cassandra Caine, right?"

She smiled slightly, nodded, and shook Peter's hand.

He looked at her with some amusement. "You don't talk much, do you?"

Cassandra looked at him quizzically, shook her head and put a hand to her throat. When Peter didn't seem to understand, she slowly unwound the scarf from her throat.

Peter whistled at the angry red scar that crossed the front part of Cassandra's throat. Understanding dawned. "You can't talk?"

She shook her head. Then she placed her hands over her ears and shook her head again.

"You can't hear either?" Peter looked skeptical. "Then how do you know what I'm saying?"

Cassandra pointed to him then made "talking" motions with her hand.

"You lip-read?" He was still skeptical, so he covered his mouth with his hand. "If you really can't hear me, then I guess it's safe to say that I think you're pretty." He watched her face warily, ready to deny his words, but all he got was a confused look on Cassandra's face. She reached up and pulled down his hand with a frown, her look obviously saying, 'What did you say?'

He smiled weakly at her. "Nothing important. I'm sorry. How..." He broke off as he heard footsteps approaching. He looked at Cassandra and bit his lip. Whispering, he took her hand and led her behind some bushes against the building. "Someone's coming. If we're caught, we'll be in so much trouble." He glanced around and motioned for her to duck down as one of the administrators strode by and disappeared around the next corner. Peter looked Cassandra in the eye, making sure she was paying attention. "You have to get back to your room. So do I. If we're caught, it could mean a week of kitchen duty. Can you get back without being seen?"

She nodded, then patted his arm. Silently, she stepped out from the bushes and made her way back to the girls' dormitory. Peter, after making sure she had enough time to get away, likewise made his way back up the lattice work and into his room. He kicked off his shoes and slid into bed seconds before a monitor made his rounds of the rooms, doing a head count. 'I hope she got back okay. Can't wait to talk to her tomorrow.' With that thought, he fell asleep.

The next afternoon, Cassandra had gone outside to read. She was unaware that several of the older boys of the orphanage had followed her out and were planning on having some fun at her expense. They stood behind her, calling her names and making obscene noises, secure in the knowledge that she couldn't hear them to tattle. One boy, with a snicker to his friends, reached up from behind her and snatched her book away. When she turned, he smirked at her and tossed it to one of his friends. "Come on, mutie. If you ask nice maybe we'll give it back." They played keep-away with it for a while, holding it above their heads out of her reach. At one point, Cassandra grabbed hold of one of the boy's arms to yank the book out of his hand. He pushed Cassandra away, and she tripped and fell to the ground. Face twisted in a snarl, she stood up quickly and rammed her shoulder into the boy's stomach.

"Ooph!" He bent over with a yelp and dropped the book.

Cassandra leaned over in satisfaction to pick up the book, unaware of the boy behind her who had made a fist and was about to clean her clock. When she stood, she was startled to see Peter standing beside her, his hand up and clasped around the other boy's fist. With a quick twist of his arm, he flipped the boy onto his back. Peter, in a fighter's stance, placed himself between Cassandra and her attackers. Cassandra couldn't tell what Peter was saying, but whatever it was, it worked. The other boys shook their heads sullenly and began backing off. The kid on the ground crawled a few feet away before regaining his feet and joining his friends. The first boy, the one whom Cassandra had shouldered, straightened up and got into Peter's face. "You'll be sorry, Caine. I'll get you for this."

Peter said nothing, just stared at the boy until the other dropped his gaze and backed off, muttering. When the boys had left, Peter turned to the girl. "Are you all right, Cassandra?"

Cassandra nodded, then signed 'Thank you.' At the same time she mouthed the words.

Peter smiled. "You're welcome."

Cassandra signed 'You're welcome' and mouthed the words.

Peter's smile got even bigger and he signed 'You're welcome.'

This time, Cassandra dug out a small notepad and pencil and began writing. She handed the pad to Peter. "How did you toss that boy so easily?"

Peter wrote the answer down, as well as saying it aloud. "I used Kung Fu on him. Something my dad taught me."

She took back the pad long enough to write, "I wish I could do that. It would keep those guys off my back."

Peter was silent for a moment. Then he wrote, "I'll teach you how to protect yourself, if you teach me how to sign and possibly lip-read. Deal?"

For an answer, Cassandra smiled and put out her hand. The two shook on it.

Place: Sloanville - 101st Precinct Date: August 20,1994

Peter Caine came back from patrol feeling depressed. He should have been happy. His birthday was in a few days, and his mom, Annie, had a huge celebration dinner planned with all his favorite dishes. He knew why he was depressed; there just wasn't much he could do about it.

As he slowly made his way to his desk, his eyes drifted over to the Captain's empty office. Paul Blaisdell, Peter's foster father, had been called away for an important assignment. Peter hated it when Paul had to leave, he was always afraid that Paul might never return one day. That, and he hated to see Annie and the girls worry so much.

He saw Mary Margaret Skalany getting ready to leave for the day. She looked up with a smile as he passed her desk. "Hey, Peter. How's your father doing?" She knew he had gone by to see Kwai Chang Caine earlier in the day.

Peter crossed his arms with a sigh. "LoSi said he left early this morning. He doesn't know when he'll be back."

Mary Margaret bit her lip. "Oh, Peter. I'm sorry."

Peter shrugged. "No big deal. You taking off?"

"Yeah, some of us are meeting at Chandler's tonight. Are you going to go?"

"I'm not sure yet. I still have some paperwork to get in." He smiled. "Save me a spot, just in case."

"All right." She smiled back. "Goodnight, Peter."

"Goodnight." Peter saw the light on in Kermit's office and decided to see what the ex-mercenary was up to. He knocked on the door. "Kermit?"

A gruff voice answered, "Come on in."

Peter entered to see Kermit sitting at his computer, as always, typing furiously, a grin on his face. Peter smiled at his friend. "Find anything interesting?"

"Oh, yeah. Met this very nice, very smart young lady who does computer consultations for major companies. She breaks into their computer systems and then lets the owners know how they can keep others from doing the same. It's all legal, of course."

"Of course. Sounds like fun."

"It can be, if it's done right. She's also got an interesting sense of humor."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, we were discussing something or other and I asked her how her singing voice was."

"Why did you want to know that?" Peter interrupted.

Kermit just looked at him over his ever-present sunglasses. "It's my business to know everything I can about a person."

Peter smiled. "So what did she say?"

"She said that it's nonexistent, but that she can tap out a beat like nobody's business."

Peter grinned. "You know anything else about her?"

"Just that she moved to town recently and is going to meet her brother for her birthday. Speaking of which, there's a package on your desk. It arrived while you were out."

Peter walked to the door and glanced at his desk. "Do you know who delivered it?"

"No, no one remembers when it got here, and there's no return address on the package." Kermit tapped a few keys and logged off his computer before rising to his feet and following Peter out of his office.

Peter picked up the package. "It's light."

Kermit looked at the address written on the box. "Do you recognize the handwriting?"

A smile quirked at the corner of Peter's mouth. "I think so. If it's from who I think it's from, I haven't heard from her in a few years."

"Her? Come on, kid. Don't leave me in the dark."

Peter just grinned and began unwrapping the brown paper. Inside the box was another, this one gaily wrapped in rainbow paper. He tore the wrapping off the box, letting it fall to his desk, then opened the box. Inside was a brown teddy bear with a yellow scarf tied about its neck. A white card lay underneath it.

"A teddy bear? Who would send you a teddy bear?" Kermit was incredulous. He lifted the bear up out of the box and examined it. Peter just smiled softly and picked up the card. His grin got even wider as he read, until he was chuckling to himself. Kermit's curiosity got the best of him. "Who is it from?"

"An old and dear friend. Look, if you go to Chandler's tonight, tell Mary Margaret that something came up." He glanced at the card again, grabbed his jacket and the bear, and started out of the precinct.

"Peter..." Kermit's voice trailed off and he shook his head in a mixture of amusement and exasperation as he watched the young detective rush out of the room.

Kermit spent another forty-five minutes working on paperwork before showing up at Chandler's. He glanced about the room, ordered a drink, and pulled up a barstool next to Mary Margaret. "Peter said for me to tell you that something came up."

Mary Margaret's face fell. "I hope he doesn't do anything foolish."

"What do you mean?" Kermit's eyebrow went up in curiosity.

"His dad left town again today. LoSi gave him the message. Peter sure looked depressed when I saw him."

Kermit chuckled. "Well, he was certainly anything but depressed when he left the precinct. It seems that a mysterious woman from his past has shown up again. He was real excited when he got a package from her." He laughed again. "She gave him a teddy bear."

Mary Margaret choked on her drink. "A teddy bear?"

"With a yellow scarf about its neck, no less."

"Peter, you sure do have interesting friends."

"Oh yeah."

Peter parked his Stealth outside the address written on the card. He nodded in appreciation when he saw the building. These apartments were located in a very nice part of town and boasted the best of security measures. He turned the engine off, took a deep breath, and walked up to the building's door. He was met by a doorman. "May I help you, sir?" Wordlessly, Peter handed the gentleman the card. The doorman perused the card, nodded, handed the card back, and opened the door for him. "Take the elevator up to the fifth floor. The apartment you are looking for is the second one on the right."

Peter nodded and followed the doorman's instructions, getting a good look at the inside of the building as he did so. 'Very posh,' he thought to himself. He rode the elevator to the fifth floor and walked down the hallway. Arriving at the proper apartment, he rang the doorbell and waited. A few moments later the door opened at reveal a young woman with long blonde hair. Her green eyes sparkled merrily as she let Peter inside and gave him a huge hug, which he returned enthusiastically. He pulled back and held her lightly by the shoulders to get a good look at her. "Cassandra, you look beautiful."

"Thank you," she signed. "You look terrific, as well."

Peter was only half-aware that he had begun signing while he spoke, easily falling back into the conversation mode he had used years ago with Cassandra. "What have you been up to the past couple of years? I tried to contact you, but my letters kept being returned."

She grimaced, her face flushed with annoyance, disgust, and anger. "Someone from my foster father's past escaped from prison. The police put the entire Forrester family into protective custody until they caught him again."

Peter was concerned. "But they did catch him, didn't they?"

She nodded. "Yes. But that is why I couldn't contact you. I had to quit my job on campus as well as all my courses. By the time the whole situation was taken care of, I was too far behind in the year to catch up. Luckily, I was able to complete them by correspondence." She grinned. "But I finally graduated with a degree in computer science and graphics. I've already got a great job working with several different types of systems."

"What do you do?"

"I beef up their security. It's great."

Something clicked in Peter's mind and he quoted, "My singing voice is nonexistent, but I can tap out a beat like nobody's business."

He chuckled at her stunned expression. "How did you know that?" she signed.

"You've been talking to a friend of mine down at the precinct on your computer. His name is Kermit."

"Ker... oh, yes, I remember him. His screen name's GrShades, I believe. He seems like a very nice person, at least over the computer. I like talking to him, he's got an interesting sense of humor."

"That's what he said about you. How did you come to this conclusion?"

"I asked him something, I don't remember what, and he replied with, 'Only the Shadow knows.' It was weird, but I liked it. How is he in real life?"

"Kermit is... well, Kermit. He can be real nice, once you get to know him. A bit paranoid at times; he doesn't like people prying into his past. He's... " Peter fumbled for an adjective that could adequately describe his friend, but failed to find one. "Well... you could meet him, if you like."

"When?"

Peter glanced at his watch. "Now, if you wanted to. Most of my fellow officers are probably down at Chandler's right now."

"Who's Chandler?"

"Not who, what. It's a bar near the precinct where we go to wind down. Would you like to go?"

She frowned. "I don't know. I would kind of like to just sit here and talk with you. I haven't seen you in such a long time. Do you mind?"

"I don't mind at all. We have a lot of catching up to do."

"We could go later. I'd love to meet some of the people you work with."

"We could go tomorrow night. Also, Mom is serving all my favorites for my birthday dinner. You're invited to join us."

She smiled, a small dimple appearing by her left eye, "Only if you promise me that we can do something special for both of our birthdays, just the two of us."

"Have you been to Chinatown yet?" Cassandra shook her head and he continued. "I know of a wonderful restaurant down there. We could go there tomorrow, just the two of us, to celebrate your birthday. Then, afterwards, we can stop off at Chandler's and you can meet my friends. Is it a deal?"

She put her hand out with a mischievous smile. Peter smiled in understanding and the two shook on it.

Cassandra signed, "I heard that you graduated from the Police Academy with honors. What's it like being a cop?" Peter spent some time describing a few of his past cases. Cassandra sat back and absorbed it all, her eyes shining with pleasure and pride in her friend. "Seems you've done well, Peter."

Peter glanced around the room. "You haven't done so badly yourself, Cassandra. How are you able to afford all of this?"

"Follow me." She led him to the office she had in the back room. A sophisticated computer took up most of the space where she worked, the tables and chairs were covered with papers dealing with electrical pathways and her own unique shorthand. "It's not really work," she explained. "I'm having too much fun doing it."

"From what Kermit said, I gather you're pretty good."

"So I've been told. You wouldn't believe how woefully inadequate some of the security systems were. I like fixing them up. Father still can't believe I actually get paid to do this." Cassandra noticed the muscles in Peter's shoulders tense up slightly. "What's wrong?"

Peter shrugged. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Cassandra frowned, but didn't push, knowing from experience how stubborn Peter could be. He'd talk when he was ready. So she changed the subject. "So what time is Annie making dinner?"

"She's asked that I be over no later than five."

"Are you sure she won't mind me coming?"

Peter gave her a fond grin. "No. She won't mind. But I'll talk to her tomorrow about it if it will make you feel better."

Cassandra nodded and headed out of the office, towards the kitchen. "Care for some tea? My father found this new blend and I'm dying to try it out."

Again, Peter's shoulder muscles tensed, and Cassandra watched as pain, anger, and sadness flickered across his expressive face before Peter locked down on his emotions. She stared at him for a moment, then took him by the arm and led him into the living room where she set him on the couch. "What's wrong?"

Peter just shook his head and looked away. Cassandra's forehead creased with worry. She'd only very rarely seen him like this, and she didn't like not knowing how to help. She gently turned his head till he was again looking at her. "Peter? Please?"

Peter took a breath. "I don't want to talk about it."

She looked at him with understanding, her gaze steady, trying to send him the support he needed. "Then sign it."

At those three simple words, Peter remembered a past time.

{-1979-}

Peter returned to the orphanage after a two-month stint at Pine Ridge Corrective Facility. He'd convinced everyone that he was fine and that he could be left to his own devices. Everyone, that is, but Cassandra. He didn't know how, but she could tell that everything was not as right as he was so desperately trying to portray. In fact, she seemed to always know what he was feeling, and could tell when one of his fosterings had gone badly. With that realization, Peter drew himself away from Cassandra, afraid that she would break through the thin walls he had erected around himself - walls he felt he desperately needed to keep himself sane - not knowing that these same walls were doing him more harm than good.

For days, he made sure he was never in the same room as she was. He stayed away from their special spot on the grounds. He deliberately cut her off, trying to pretend that their year of friendship had meant nothing, all the while wretchedly aware of how much he was hurting her.

One night, unable to stand the confines of the dorm room, Peter slipped out and made his way to the old willow tree near the edge of the orphanage boundaries. It was here that Peter taught Cassandra Kung Fu, and where Cassandra, in turn, taught him how to sign and lip read, away from the prying eyes of everyone. And it was here that he found Cassandra sitting in a mediation position against the trunk of the tree. Peter stopped, surprised and a bit leery and embarrassed as well. He was about to back away when Cassandra opened her eyes. Peter sucked in a breath at the sadness and loneliness he could see reflected there. A wave of guilt washed over him.

"Peter," she signed slowly, "Why are you ignoring me? Are you mad at me?"

Peter shook his head, unable to speak.

"I know your foster placement with the Voes went badly." She paused, gauging her words and his reactions to them. "Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." Peter slashed at the air, his signing choppy in his agitation. He dropped his gaze to the ground, unable to face her directly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cassandra gracefully rise to her feet. Inwardly, he cringed as she approached, part of him hoping she'd leave him alone, the other part hoping...

He felt her cool fingers on his chin as she gently raised his face to look at her. She signed two words. "Peter? Please?"

His resolve was weakening, but he was still reticent. "I can't talk about it." His voice was muffled as he quickly mumbled the words. But it was apparent that she had understood. "Then sign it."

Peter walked over to the tree and sat down, his legs sprawled out before him. Cassandra sat beside him, turned towards him. The light of the full moon was bright enough for the children to see each other clearly enough for the conversation. Peter took a deep breath and slowly began signing. "What have you heard?"

Cassandra shrugged slightly, settling herself more comfortably on the ground. "Not much. The others don't bother to write things down for me." Peter winced a bit, again ashamed at the way he had been ignoring her. Cassandra continued. "Something about the father getting killed in a knife fight. But not much else."

Peter heaved a sigh, not really wanting to get into the entire story, but he looked into Cassandra's eyes and found the courage to begin. "I'd been there for almost a month. It wasn't bad. Mr. Voe, he was decent, better than some foster folks I've had. He had a knack of knowing when I needed company and when I needed to be alone. Gave me privacy when I needed it. You know." Cassandra nodded in understanding. "His son, David, though, he was a jerk. Always hassling me about not really being part of the family, I think he was jealous of the attention I got from his dad."

Cassandra interrupted. "What about his mom?"

"Mrs. Voe had died a long time ago. Mr. Voe had always wanted more kids, but since he's a single parent, the best he can do is foster, I guess. Anyway, David drank. A lot. Mr. Voe didn't like it. Kept trying to get him to quit. Didn't work though." Peter was silent a moment, trying to find the words. Cassandra remained quiet as well, as if aware that any probing now would cause Peter to close up tighter than a clam.

Peter shook himself. He was reluctant to continue and his signing slowed as a result. "David came home late one night, drunk as a lord. He and Mr. Voe got into an argument. I woke up to them screaming at each other. I ran downstairs, towards the noise. They were in the kitchen. David was going on about how his dad never had time for him anymore. He... he..." Peter stopped, his eyes closed against the tears that threatened to flow.

He felt Cassandra shift slightly beside him and begin rubbing his back. A few minutes of this finally eased some of the tension. Peter heaved a sigh and opened his eyes. He locked gazes with Cassandra and saw his pain reflected in her green eyes. He took a deep breath. "David picked up a knife of the kitchen counter and attacked his father. He managed to cut Mr. Voe across the throat before I could get to him." Cassandra winced, a hand going to her own throat in sympathy. "I didn't notice at first that Mr. Voe had been cut. I grabbed David's wrist and tried to wrench the knife out of his hand. I used too much force and broke his wrist. He howled and jumped at me, knocking me against the counter. I hit my head and blacked out. As I fell, I kicked out at his ankle, causing him to fall as well. I guess he hit his head, cause he was still out when I came to. But..." Peter paused again, this time unable to stop the tears. "Mr. Voe was already dead. I called the police and tried to tell them what happened, but I was still kinda fuzzy."

Peter's hazel eyes blazed black as he signed furiously. "David tried to convince the cops that I was the one who had killed Mr. Voe. That I was trying to steal the silver, and that I'd attacked Mr. Voe when he tried to stop me. David told the cops that I'd then broken his wrist and knocked him out after killing his father." Peter stopped again, trying to regain control, his breathing erratic as he hyperventilated. Cassandra rubbed the small of his back and the back of his neck until Peter stopped shaking enough to finish. "Lucky for me, the police noticed that David was drunk and that none of the silver was out of place. That and if I _had_ killed Mr. Voe, I probably wouldn't have stuck around to call the police. They took both of us in for questioning."

Peter shook his head in appreciation, his eyes lightening in memory. "They were good. They treated me like an adult, and not like a kid who didn't know anything. They were able to find enough evidence to prove that it was David who did the killing and not me. Told me that I had done the right thing in calling the police, but that I should not have tried to take on David myself. Though another officer told me that he probably would have done the same thing in my place." Peter smiled slightly for a moment, then grew somber again. "Had to testify. All the fighting I'd done in my other foster settings were brought up by David's lawyer. I guess he was still trying to convince the jury that David couldn't have possibly done it, even though the police had already proved that he had."

His eyes darkened again, "Then I got sent to Pine Ridge for two months." He stopped.

Cassandra looked at him carefully, aware that the story was not finished. She drew his attention. "Why were you there for so long?"

Peter averted his eyes, but Cassandra refused to let it go. "Peter! Why?"

"After the whole thing was over with, I wanted to forget about it. I... refused to talk about it to the counselors at Pine Ridge. They kept at me until I finally talked to them."

"But you didn't tell them everything. Did you?" A knowing glint in her eye.

Peter shook his head his eyes filling with tears once more. His face fell and he started speaking out loud. "If I had just been there sooner. I could have saved him. If I hadn't of gotten knocked out, he would still be alive. It's my fault he died. I should have saved him." Peter's thin frame was wracked with sobs. He bent forward, his forehead almost to his knees, his hands covering his face. He didn't want to see the disgust he thought must be on Cassandra's face. After all, it was his fault that Mr. Voe was dead, wasn't it? He was surprised when he felt her wrap her arms around him.

Cassandra sat beside him for a long time. She rocked him back and forth, silently comforting him. Her touch and presence finally conveying to him that it was not his fault that Mr. Voe had died; that she did not blame him, as he felt that some of the "counselors" at Pine Ridge had. Peter finally sat up and looked in her eyes. What he found there calmed him more than any words could have. He grasped her hand. "Thank you."

Cassandra smiled at him, brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. "You would have done the same for me." She glanced down a bit shyly. "Are we still friends?"

Her gentle reminder of his attitude lately was not accompanied with a surge of guilt. "Not just friends. Family."

Peter's heart warmed when she practically beamed at him. "Family. I like the sound of that."

{-1994-}

He drew his attention back to the present, and once again, as he had years before, Peter nodded and poured his heart out to her. He told her how he had been reunited with his father and of the confusion and guilt he felt. "I want to get to know my father again, but I don't want Paul to feel like I'm abandoning him. Like the years he's been my father were worthless. But, another part of me wants to ignore my father, to pay him back for all the years of betrayal and loneliness I have felt."

"Have you told them how you feel?"

Peter shook his head.

"Why?"

"I guess..." He paused, gathering his thoughts, "I don't know. I'm not ready to, just yet."

Cassandra nodded her understanding. "When you're ready, Peter. But don't wait too long. Don't let all that anger and hurt stay within and fester. Promise?"

Peter looked at this girl-'Young woman,' he corrected-and wondered how she had become so wise. Solemnly, he spoke out loud. "I promise, Cassandra."

She nodded in satisfaction. "Will I be able to meet your father at the dinner?"

Peter shrugged a bit uncomfortably. "I do not know. He left unexpectedly today. I don't know where he went or when he'll be back."

Cassandra put a hand to his cheek and he briefly closed his eyes and leaned into it, savoring the contact. He leaned back and sighed. "Paul's on an assignment, so he may not be there either."

"Who will be there?"

"Family. Annie, Kelly, Caroline, Caroline's husband, Todd, and you. We're hoping that Paul and my father will make it back in time. The Ancient might come. That's about it."

Cassandra tilted her head. "Who's the Ancient?"

"A very old and wise man who lives in Chinatown. His real name is LoSi and he's a good friend of my father's"

"He's a friend of yours as well."

Peter was aware that this was a statement, not a question. "Yes. He's..." he waved a hand in the air, vaguely, "been helping me work things out with my father."

Cassandra grinned, her face lighting up. "I like him already. Can't wait to meet him."

Peter smiled, finally relaxing. "And I can't wait to introduce you to them all." He took both her hands in his.

"I've missed you, Cassandra. It's been too long since we last met."

She squeezed his hands tightly and nodded in agreement. Peter felt her try to withdraw her hands, but with a grin, he held on a bit tighter. Cassandra smiled back, glanced at her hands, then looked up into his eyes with a glint in her own. 'Uh oh,' Peter thought. He strained to understand her next words as she slowly mouthed, "Okay, Peter. Be that way. Let's see how much you have remembered about lip reading." With a good-natured groan, Peter nodded, and the two friends spent the rest of the evening renewing old communications.

(on to part two)


	2. Chapter 2

**Birthdays Part 2**

August 21, 1994

Annie Blaisdell was working in the kitchen when she heard her son enter the house. As he moved down the hallway she marveled, and not for the first time, at how quiet he could be. 'For someone with that much energy, to move that gracefully and silently is truly remarkable.' She smiled as she heard him call out, "Mom?"

"I'm in the kitchen, Peter."

Moments later, she sensed his presence at the door entrance and heard him take a deep breath. "That smells terrific. What are you making?"

"Spaghetti. Kelly's coming by soon for lunch and to help me prepare for your dinner tomorrow. I tried calling you last night."

"Spent the night at Kelly's. We'd had a fight and I was trying to patch things up."

Annie smiled. "Did it work?"

Peter sighed. "I sure hope so."

Peter put his arms around her in a hug and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. She leaned into the embrace and kissed his cheek, then the two moved away. "You had something you wanted to ask?"

Peter chuckled. "Yes. Do you remember when I told you about Cassandra Caine?"

Annie thought a moment, then nodded. "The girl you met at the orphanage? The one you taught kung fu?"

"Yeah, that's her. I saw her yesterday. She lives here in town, now."

"Peter, that's wonderful. Why don't you invite her over tomorrow?"

She could hear the smile in his voice as he stood behind her and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. "I already did, but she wanted me to make sure it was all right with you."

"Of course it's all right. We'll have more than plenty for everyone. Besides, she's family."

Peter kissed her cheek. "Thanks, mom."

Annie stirred the rich tomato sauce and brought a spoon up for Peter to taste. "So, what are your plans for tonight?"

"Today's Cassandra's birthday. I was going to take her to the Paper Dragon in Chinatown for dinner, then to Chandler's to meet Kermit and the others."

"That would be nice. I heard the Paper Dragon is beautiful. How old is she?"

"Twenty three. I figured I'd get her out of that apartment of hers and show her true Chinatown nightlife."

"Are you going to introduce her to your father while you're down in Chinatown?"

Peter drew away from her and Annie felt him put a wall up between them. "No."

She turned to him, stunned at the coldness and bitterness held in that one word. Peter immediately softened his tone. "I'm sorry. Look, I gotta go. I'm supposed to meet Cassandra in a couple of hours, and I still have some errands to run. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you, bye."

Before she could say a word, Peter gave her a kiss and practically ran out of the room. She listened to his footsteps fade away and heard the door thud shut. Mechanically, Annie returned to the stove and stirred the sauce once again. She quickly ran the conversation through her mind, trying to find the reason for her son's distress. "Caine," she whispered suddenly in understanding. "You left again with no word, didn't you? How could you do that to Peter?" She sighed heavily and prayed that the damage done wouldn't be permanent. "You'd better have a good reason for leaving, Caine, a very good reason." She pushed the dilemma into the back of her mind as she heard her daughter enter the house.

Kermit sat at the end of the bar, slowly sipping his beer as he scanned the crowd. He'd had a long day at his computer, and though he usually had to be pried away from it, he had to admit that he was enjoying the change in scenery. Mary Margaret sat beside him. "I envy Peter. Having the day off would have been wonderful. Although, I doubt he enjoyed it much."

Kermit turned to her in curiosity, instinctively keeping the front door in view. "How so?"

"You know Peter. If there isn't anything exciting to do, he goes out of his mind with boredom. He probably spent the entire day prowling about his apartment trying to think of something to do."

Kermit glanced over Mary Margaret's shoulder and grinned. "I seriously doubt that. I'm sure Peter found something to occupy his time."

Mary Margaret snickered. "You're right and we'll probably hear about it on the police scanner any moment now. Peter can't seem to go one day without getting into some kind of trouble."

"That's not true. I spent one whole day in 1982 where I didn't get into any trouble at all. Or was that '83? I don't remember."

Kermit hid a grin as Mary Margaret almost choked on her drink at the familiar voice. She turned to see Peter standing behind her, a beautiful young lady beside him. She turned on Kermit. "You knew!" she accused.

Kermit just shrugged, thankful his shades hid the laughter in his eyes, and deliberately changed the subject. "Peter, glad you could bother yourself to come on down."

"Hey, it's the least I could do." Peter smiled.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your lady friend?"

"But of course." Kermit grinned in amusement as Peter turned to his friend, interested to note that she seemed to hang on every word Peter said. "Cassandra, I'd like you to meet some of my colleagues. This is Detective Mary Margaret Skalany. And this is the gentleman I was telling you about, Detective Kermit Griffin. Kermit, Mary Margaret, this is Cassandra Caine."

Mary Margaret stared at both of them, a bit shocked. "Caine? The two of you are related?"

Peter and Cassandra exchanged glances, tilted their right hands back and forth, and gave a half-shrug. "Sort of. It's kind of a long story."

Kermit got down to the important matters. "You were telling her about me?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Peter was a friend, but still...

Peter put out a calming hand. "Relax. You already know her."

Kermit was puzzled. He was sure that he would have remembered Cassandra had they met before.

Peter explained. "This is the 'very nice, very smart' computer systems analyst that you met over the Internet. 'Only the Shadow knows'?

Kermit glanced at Cassandra, whose green eyes met his brown ones with amusement. With a slight grin, he took up one of her hands and kissed it. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, my lady."

She tilted her head, a smile blossoming on her face, and gave a mock curtsy.

Peter spoke up. "Well, if you will excuse us, I promised Cassandra that I would treat her to the best dessert this side of Chinatown." He motioned for Cassandra to follow him. As she passed the two detectives, she gave another heart-stopping smile and nodded to them both.

Kermit followed the two of them with his eyes. "Quiet one, that."

Mary Margaret shrugged. "With Peter around, she doesn't need to talk."

"True, but still. Did you notice anything odd about her?"

"Other than the fact that she stared at everyone and didn't say a word? No, nothing odd about her at all." Her tone was slightly sarcastic.

"Exactly, she watched everyone extremely closely whenever we were speaking."

"What are you getting at, Kermit?" He could tell that she had lost interest in the conversation.

"Nothing, never mind. Just a theory that I might check out."

Mary Margaret had been looking around the bar and now stood. "There's Blake. I need to talk to him about borrowing one of his bugs."

"Good luck."

She gave him a look. "Thanks. I'll see you later." She stood and left Kermit to nurse his beer.

As the evening wore on, Kermit found himself glancing over at Peter's table occasionally. Although he couldn't hear them, he was able to pick up bits and pieces of their conversation based on their body language and some lip reading. As he watched, something nagged at the back of his mind. There was something wrong with this scene, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was until a waiter approached Peter's table again. Quite clearly, Kermit could hear Peter request something for himself and Cassandra. His tone was conversational, not too loud or soft, and Kermit was able to make out the words easily from his position. Once the waiter left, Kermit watched as Peter turned his attention back to Cassandra and start talking to her again. Kermit couldn't hear a word but was convinced that they were still talking in a natural manner. He watched a moment later, then understood. 'Well, I'll be.' He raised his drink in a silent toast. 'Detective Caine, you never cease to amaze me. Wonder why you never told me you could lip read.' He thought a moment, then chuckled. 'Probably because it never came up.'

He tipped the rest of his drink down his throat, rose, and made his way over to Peter's table, his eyes twinkling behind his green shades. The closer he got, the more convinced he became that he was right. He sauntered over, grabbed a nearby chair, turned it around, and sat in it backwards, his arms crossed over the back. He tisked gently. "Peter, Peter, Peter."

"Yes?" Peter blinked up at him.

Kermit could see Cassandra's eyes flickering quickly back and forth between the two of them as they conversed. "Why didn't you tell me you could lip read?"

Peter frowned at him, seemingly puzzled. He shrugged. "Guess it never came up."

Inwardly, Kermit laughed. He'd expected that. Peter drew his attention, "How'd you know?"

"I saw you practicing." At Peter's confusion, he clarified by pointing to where he had been sitting. "It's not usually too difficult to hear you, kid. You have a distinctive voice."

Peter leaned back, arms crossed and a small smile on his face. "And you noticed me talking to Cassandra, but didn't hear me saying anything."

"Exactly." Kermit leaned closer. "Who taught you? Blaisdell?"

He watched as Peter shifted uncomfortably in his chair, uncertain as to the cause. "Cassandra taught me. At Oakwell."

"The orphanage? Is that where you met?" They both nodded. "Does Annie know?"

Peter looked puzzled. "About Cassandra? Yes."

"Good. In that case, I'll leave the two of you alone. You probably have a lot to talk about. If I don't see you tomorrow, Peter, Happy Birthday." He slapped Peter's shoulder, then turned to Cassandra. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Make sure you keep an eye on him." Kermit rose from his seat and walked off, leaving Peter and Cassandra to shrug at each other in confusion.

Cassandra pushed her plate away. The Paper Dragon, though excellent, didn't serve deserts, and Peter had told her that the pastries at Chandler's were to die for. He had been right. She sighed in satisfaction and tapped on the table to get Peter's attention. "Is he always so cryptic?" she mouthed.

"Kermit? Just about. He likes being mysterious."

She smiled. "I can tell." She leaned back, relaxed and happy. "I think he knows."

Peter just blinked at her. "Knows what?"

"That I'm deaf. Or else he seriously considers it a possibility."

Peter glanced around the room, but didn't see the reclusive detective. "You're probably right. He doesn't miss much." He gave her a quizzical look. "Does that bother you?"

She grinned. "Not at all. Mainly because he didn't immediately assume I was an idiot as well. I wouldn't mind getting to know him better." Cassandra immediately braced herself when Peter grinned suddenly. "What?"

"Oh, probably nothing. But if you want to see him in his element, why don't I take you to the precinct tomorrow?"

She tilted her head. "Isn't it your day off?"

"Yeah, but that means I can give you the grand tour in peace. What do you say?"

"Sounds like a plan." She noticed that Peter's attention had been diverted. She touched his wrist. "What is it?"

Peter looked a bit embarrassed. "I need to talk to someone about a case I'm working on. Do you mind?"

"Do you ever go off duty?" she teased. "Go on, I don't mind. I'll be here when you get back."

Peter patted her hand and she watched as he crossed the room, casually dodging patrons and waitresses, towards a short, brown haired man, who practically vibrated with nervous energy. Cassandra was amazed. 'And I thought Peter was hyper.' She glanced around the room, noticing Mary Margaret talking with an older gentleman. The two of them were engrossed with something small the man held in his hands. Her gaze slid over to the door as three burly men walked in and cased the place. She shivered when one glanced her way. For some reason, he made her uneasy. She turned away and took in the rest of the room. She stopped when she came to Kermit, who sat a few tables away. He looked up, smiled, and raised his glass in her direction. She raised hers in turn and the two drank a toast. 'Yes, I definitely wouldn't mind getting to know him better.'

Kermit had just put down his glass when he noticed one of the newcomers to the bar had circled the establishment and had walked up to Cassandra from behind. The man said something. Cassandra didn't respond, her eyes were on her glass. The man made a face and, apparently, repeated himself a bit louder. The man acted drunk, but Kermit had a feeling that that was exactly what it was, an act. Glancing around, Kermit saw that Peter was deep in conversation with Nick Elder, the precinct's coroner, and hadn't noticed the situation yet.

Turning back, Kermit saw the man reach out and grab Cassandra's arm, startling her. Kermit got out of his seat and stepped closer, the man's words becoming clearer. "I said, I wanna dance. What are you? Deaf or sumpthin'?"

Cassandra tried to pull away, her face a mixture of pain and anger. Kermit quickly made his way to her table. He placed a deceptively gentle hand on the man's shoulder and spoke with icy calmness into his ear. "The lady doesn't want to dance. I seriously suggest you let go of her."

Cassandra stared up at him with appreciation and a bit of apprehension in her eyes. The man turned towards him, his hand still clamped about Cassandra's forearm. "Back off, little man," he sneered. "Go get your own date. If anyone'd have you."

Kermit was about to send the man to an early grave when he caught sight of Cassandra's face. She was looking past the two men at someone behind them. She nodded, then scowled fiercely at the man holding her. She made her free hand into a clawed fist that Kermit vaguely remembered Peter showing him once. She drew her arm back then shot it forward into a pressure point near the man's groin. Kermit winced in sympathy (though not much) as the man sucked in a strangled breath. The guy immediately released his hold on Cassandra and doubled over, both hands clasped around his injury. Kermit jerked the man upright and herded him towards the door where the bar's bouncer came up and relieved the detective of his burden. Kermit hurried back to Cassandra, relieved to note that the incident hadn't frightened her too much. She smiled brilliantly up at him and motioned for him to have a seat. "Are you all right?" She nodded, gratitude in her eyes. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I taught her." Peter walked up and pulled a chair over. "Pretty nasty, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah."

"Cassandra?" She nodded at Peter and placed a hand on his arm, letting him know that she was fine. Kermit watched the two interact, fascinated. Both of their faces were so open, their feelings and thoughts were made instantly known to the world. He chuckled suddenly drawing Peter's attention and, in turn, Cassandra's. "What's so funny?" Peter asked.

"The two of you are very much alike, did you know that?"

Both looked puzzled. "How do you mean?"

"Never mind." He waved the question off. "Tell me, how _are_ you two related?"

Peter glanced at Cassandra and the two of them extended their right hands. There, on the flesh just below where the fingers joined the hand, was a long, thin, white scar. Kermit could tell that the scar was old. Peter spoke. "We're blood siblings. We adopted each other while at Oakwell. Unofficially, of course. A few months later, both of us were placed with our current families."

Kermit could practically feel the wall that Peter had up, and to some extent, that Cassandra had erected as well. Although curious to know the circumstances behind the "adoption," Kermit felt he knew Peter well enough to know that now was not the time to ask those questions. So, tactfully, he changed the subject, "What are your plans for the evening?"

"Don't know," Peter shrugged. "I was thinking of showing Cassandra the night life of Chinatown. There's supposed to be a small festival tonight."

"When isn't there?" Kermit smiled. "Well, be careful. Wouldn't want you spending your birthday in the hospital."

Peter grinned. "Don't worry. We'll be careful." Peter stood and helped Cassandra from the table. "Bye, Kermit."

Cassandra smiled and gave a slight bow to Kermit before linking her arm through Peter's.

In amusement, Kermit watched the two stroll out of Chandler's. He was still grinning when he noticed two men, the burly newcomers who had come in with the drunk, leave the bar a few minutes later. Kermit's instincts told him to follow them. 'And I never go against my instincts.' He checked his gun, dropped some bills on the table to cover his drinks, and followed.

As Kermit stepped outside, he noticed that a third had joined the party. It was the 'drunk' who had accosted Cassandra earlier, and at the moment he looked frighteningly sober. Kermit could see that they were on an intercept course with the couple, who were heading for Peter's car. Kermit cursed to himself. It was too dark to draw his gun. If he missed, he might hit his friends. He broke into a run as the trio converged on Peter and Cassandra. He saw the two, as one, whirl to face their pursuers and fall into fighter stances.

With dread, Kermit heard the three men chuckle and comment on the size of their prey. He wasn't going to arrive before they attacked. Then he was slowing down in awe as the fight began. One man threw a haymaker at Peter's head. Peter ducked underneath the arm and gave the man a push which sent him slamming into a car. The man shook himself and aimed for Peter again. The young detective leaped into the air, snapping a double kick that landed on his opponent's gut and chin. He followed up with a ridge hand to the temple. The man fell heavily to the ground, moaning in pain. He struggled to regain his feet when Peter sent him into oblivion with a wicked left hook.

As Kermit ran up to the fight, he blessed his luck; the second attacker seemed oblivious to his presence. With a savage blow, Kermit knocked the man out with the butt of his gun. The man went down with only a whimper of sound. Checking to ensure the man was unconscious, Kermit checked on his friends, ready to leap in at a moment's notice.

Where Peter was aggressive in his attack, Kermit noticed that Cassandra preferred a more defensive style. She gracefully ducked and weaved around her larger opponent's punches. Kermit caught his breath in his throat when Cassandra launched a kick and the man caught it. He held her leg in a vice-like grip, a wide grin appearing on his face as he figured his prey to be defenseless. Cassandra gave an answering grin, shook her finger at him, and leapt into the air so that her supporting leg came up and around in a roundhouse kick that slammed into the side of his head. Both fell to the ground but Cassandra recovered first. She crawled over to the man and hit a pressure point in the side of his neck that rendered him unconscious.

Kermit got to his feet and approached his friends. Peter nodded to him, "Thanks for the back up."

"Don't mention it." He motioned towards the sleeping trio. "Friends of yours?"

Peter shook his head. "Never saw them before."

Kermit walked over to Cassandra and put a calming hand out as she whirled on him, hands up in a defensive posture. She quickly recognized Kermit and relaxed, dropping her hands to her side. "Do you know them?"

Cassandra took a long look at her opponent's face then turned to Kermit and shook her head. Kermit searched her face a moment then nodded and dug out his phone. "This is Detective Griffin. Listen, I'm at Chandler's. Could you send a car out to pick up three guys who picked on the wrong couple? Thanks." Kermit put up the phone and thought a moment. "Peter, do you and Cassandra want to press charges on these creeps?" He watched as the couple exchanged glances. Cassandra shrugged and Kermit correctly interpreted it to mean, "Yes, but I wish I didn't have to bother."

Peter walked over and Cassandra grabbed hold of his hand. "Can we make a statement tonight and do the paperwork tomorrow? I was planning on giving her a tour of the precinct, we could fill it out then."

Peter gave a dimpled smile and Kermit sighed. "I suppose so. They won't be waking up anytime soon. I'll throw 'em in the drunk tank for the night. But I want to see the two of you no later than 10 am. Got it?" Kermit's eyes widened behind his glasses when Cassandra, who had been watching the street for the police car, turned to him and nodded her agreement. 'I thought she was...' Confused, he blanked his face and saw that Peter hadn't noticed. 'What is going on?' He wanted to ask, but this wasn't the time.

A police car drove up the road, lights flashing. Peter gave a statement and they hung around a bit watching the three men get loaded into the car. "Go on." Kermit motioned with his head. "I'll take care of this. You have a festival to attend, remember?"

Cassandra and Peter gave him identical grins, then headed off towards the Stealth. "Thanks, Kermit. See you tomorrow." Cassandra waved and Kermit watched the two drive off.

Kermit soon had the three "gentlemen" in lock up. The "drunk" demanded that he be allowed to make his phone call, which Kermit grudgingly allowed.

- - click - - "Yes?"

"It's me."

"I though I told you not to call me?" The voice was cold.

The man licked his lips nervously. "I know. But ... me and the boys are in jail. You didn't mention that they were both some kind of martial arts ninjistu or whatever experts."

There was a moment of silence in which the man got increasingly more nervous. "I thought I made it clear that you were not to approach the target."

"Me and the boys just wanted to have a bit of fun. That's all." The man was aware of the slight whine his voice had taken on, but couldn't do much to stop it.

If possible, the voice got even colder. "You have disobeyed my orders. You know the penalties for that."

"Aw, come on Mr. V. Please! Give us another chance."

"Perhaps. I will wait until you are released from jail, then I will contact you if I feel like continuing your contracts. You will not be able to reach me from this number again." - - click - -

"Mr. V.? Mr. V.? Aw man!"

Peter drove Cassandra back to her apartment. It was late, but there was something he wanted to do before he left. Peter pulled a small bag out from the inside pocket of his coat. Opening it, he pulled out two white tapered candles. Cassandra smiled, went to the kitchen, and returned with some aluminum foil which she spread on the coffee table. Peter set the candles on the foil and waited until Cassandra had knelt down opposite him. "Do you remember the first birthday we celebrated together?"

Cassandra nodded, her mind drifting back to that night.

August 21, 1978

Cassandra had been sitting on the steps of the back door to the orphanage for the past fifteen minutes. Peter had asked her to meet him there, but had not arrived yet. She glanced down at her watch. '11:45. I wonder what he's up to. He'd better hurry, whatever it is. If we're caught breaking curfew, we'll be in sooo much trouble.' She sat quietly, wishing she could pace, but not wanting to attract any attention from the monitors. Peter showed up a few minutes later, a glint in his eye. "Peter," she signed. "What is going on?"

Peter just shook his head and smiled. He took her by the hand and led her to the old willow at the far end of the orphanage's grounds that they had claimed as their own private sanctuary. Cassandra ducked under the branches, straightened, and caught her breath. Somehow, Peter had brought the low table and two large pillows from the orphanage's game room outside, transforming the barren area into a comfortable sitting space. Two candles sat upon the table with a bit of aluminum foil beneath them to catch any wax. A book of matches and a long twig sat beside the candles. Cassandra looked questioningly at Peter who just smiled and motioned for her to sit. She did, still confused. Peter sat across from her.

She glanced at the candles and raised an eyebrow. Peter explained. "Snagged the candles and the matches from the larder. No one will miss them. And I'll have the rest of the stuff back before morning, so don't worry about it." He was silent for a moment, then began speaking. He also signed some, though a bit awkwardly. They didn't get to practice as much as they liked, but Peter was learning quickly. "I found out that our birthdays are a day apart. Yours being today and mine tomorrow. I wanted to do something special, just for the two of us, and thought that close to midnight would be a good time to do it." He paused a moment and Cassandra held still, afraid to distract him.

Peter nervously ran a hand through his hair. "When my father was alive, we would hold a small ceremony to celebrate my birthday. We would light a candle for each year and allow them to burn completely down. As candles were expensive, we could only do this once a year, obviously, but it's always been special to me. We can't burn these completely down - I have to return them to the morning, but the idea is the same. We light a candle to celebrate another year of life."

Peter looked up at her, his hazel eyes dark with emotion. Cassandra smiled shyly and nodded. Peter seemed to relax, his eyes brightened and he stopped fidgeting on his pillow.

Cassandra glanced at the candles. "One for you and one for me?"

Peter nodded and picked up the long twig and the matches. He tore one match from the book, lit it, then lit the twig. He motioned for her to grasp the twig so that both of them held it. Together they lit both candles.

In comfortable "silence" they watched the candles burn, each thinking his or her own thoughts. After a few minutes Peter smiled regretfully and snuffed the two candles. Cassandra touched Peter's hand, drawing his attention. Shyly she smiled. "Thank you, Peter."

Peter smiled back. "It was my pleasure. Thank you for participating."

Present

Peter took an incense stick from his pocket. He shrugged and grinned. "I couldn't find any dry twigs." He lit the stick with a match. Cassandra placed her hand beside his and they lit the two candles. This time, they watched the candles burn all the way down. As the wisps of smoke from the snuffed flames wafted upwards, Peter looked at Cassandra. "Happy Birthday, Cassandra."

"Happy Birthday to you, too, Peter."

August 22, 1994

Cassandra walked into the living room to find Peter already awake and dressed. "Sleep well?"

Peter grinned. "Most comfortable couch I've slept on in years. Thanks for letting me stay."

"Not a problem. It was late. You were tired. And I wasn't about to let you drive like that. I'm just glad you had an extra set of clothes in your car."

"Never leave home without it. Comes in handy, doesn't it? Come on, let's get some breakfast."

"I'm not real big on breakfast." Cassandra rubbed at her eyes, then grinned and signed, "Not really big on mornings either."

Peter glanced at her, a faint smile on his lips. "No, you never have been, have you? Look, you have to eat. The paperwork will take hours, and you will be better off if you've eaten." He looked at her entreatingly. "Besides, I know of a great place. You'll love it."

She laughed and agreed. "All right, you win."

Peter flashed her a grin as he escorted her out. "Of course."

The two enjoyed a filling meal and an hour later were on their way. As they entered the 101st precinct, Cassandra was immediately assaulted by the tension, agitation, and general frantic kinetic energy of the place. People were rushing about, seemingly at random. Collisions were narrowly avoided. Police officers, suspects, victims, and their families waved their arms about, got into each others faces, and, she knew even though she couldn't hear, were yelling at the top of their lungs.

Nervously, Cassandra hung onto Peter's hand as he lead her through the bullpen. She noticed that each officer they passed took the time to say something to Peter, usually along the lines of, "Happy Birthday," "What are you doing here?," or "Don't you ever go off duty?" Peter knocked on a back office door, opened it, and ushered her inside. She looked around, impressed. The office was small and dark, but the sophisticated machine occupying most of the desk more than made up for it. Her fingers practically itched to be able to use it and she restrained herself admirably.

A few moments later, Detective Kermit Griffin entered the office. Cassandra gave a small smile, amused that he was still wearing his sunglasses even though they were indoors. Kermit sat at his computer and began typing furiously. Throughout the interview, Cassandra gave Peter's hand an occasional squeeze, receiving answering squeezes in return, a telegraphic style of communication the two had developed, sort of like Morse Code. Peter had picked up on it rather quickly, though he was a bit rusty at the moment. She sat quietly as Peter gave her personal information to Kermit.

Kermit asked, "You wish to press charges?" She nodded yes. "All right, then. We have some paperwork to fill out before we can proceed. What is your full name?"

Peter answered. "Cassandra Caine."

Cassandra saw Kermit's brow wrinkle, but the detective continued. "Address?" Cassandra telegraphed it to Peter, who responded aloud. Kermit shot Peter a glance, heaved a sigh, and asked his next question. "Phone number?" Again, Peter answered. This time Kermit turned away from the computer and gave Peter an unnerving stare. "Peter, I'm asking Cassandra, not you. Let her respond."

"But...," he trailed off

Cassandra exchanged a glance with Peter, then shrugged at Kermit. She let Peter's hand go and began signing and mouthing the words, "What do you need to know, detective?" She smiled inwardly at the reaction she got.

Kermit leaned back, his arms crossed. "You're deaf?" She nodded. "Then how could you know what I was saying last night? You weren't looking at me so you couldn't lip read."

For an answer, Cassandra reached over, took Peter's hand and sent a message so Kermit could see. Peter translated, "It's a form of Morse code we developed." Peter explained. "Pressure from different fingers indicate certain letters or concepts. It's come in handy in situations when Cassandra can't lip read or doesn't want to be noticed." He shrugged. "I was letting her know what you were saying last night and so she responded."

"Remarkable."

Cassandra grinned and gave a half-shrug. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kermit's door open and a large man poked his bald head in. He poked a finger at Peter and barked something. Peter turned to him and replied, then nodded. He looked at Cassandra. "Chief needs to talk to me about something. It shouldn't take long, do you mind?"

"No," she signed. "I'll be fine."

Peter signed back quickly, "Back in a few." He stood, nodded to Kermit, and left the office.

Cassandra turned to Kermit again, trying to figure out what to do next. Kermit cocked his head. "Peter knows Morse code, how to lip read, and sign language?"

"Yes."

Kermit shook his head, a smile on his lips. "There's a lot more to that kid than meets the eye."

"Oh yeah."

Kermit stared at her from over his glasses, blinked, and then changed the subject. "You taught him?"

"Yes."

Kermit leaned forward. "What did he teach you?"

She could imagine the curiosity in his voice. She frowned a bit, trying to think of a good way to communicate. Kermit offered her his chair and placed his computer in a Word Processing program. She smiled up at him and typed, "Well, Peter taught me Kung Fu and how to read and write in Chinese. To be honest, we both learned Morse code while in the orphanage. The place had a lot of blackouts and Morse code was the only way I could communicate in the dark."

Kermit leaned over her shoulder and typed, "How long were you in the orphanage together?"

"Two and a half years. About a year and a half if you didn't include the time spent in various foster homes."

"How were you able to learn so much in such a brief time?"

Cassandra spread her hands in a shrug, then resumed typing. "We were both quick studies. That, and we didn't have any other friends at the orphanage. We were both too different."

The two sat silently for a moment. Then Kermit typed, "Is that why you adopted each other?"

She tilted her head and hesitated a moment. "Partly." She folded her hands in her lap and looked entreatingly at Kermit, hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions about it. Kermit nodded, as if in understanding. By the time Peter returned from his conversation, the two had almost completed the paperwork and had agreed to get together for dinner the following week.

Peter looked at Cassandra and signed, "Sorry about the tour. Another time?"

Cassandra nodded and they finished with the rest of the paperwork before calling it a day.

Blaisdell home - later that evening

Nineteen-year-old Kelly Blaisdell stood in the dinning room, staring at the table with a critical eye. "Now let's see," mused the teenager aloud. "There will be mom, Peter, Caroline, Todd, and myself, that's five. Mr. Caine makes six. If dad shows, that'll be seven. Peter's friend, the Ancient, is coming. That's eight total."

Kelly jumped when she heard her mom's voice behind her. "Mr. Caine might not be coming tonight."

Kelly turned to stare at her mom. "Why not?"

"He left two day's ago and might not be back in time."

Kelly was indignant. "That's not fair."

"I know, Hon, but there isn't anything we can do about it."

"How's Peter taking it?"

"Not as bad as I thought he would, but then, something's occurred that took his mind off it a bit."

Kelly was curious. "What?"

"Do you remember Cassandra?"

Kelly thought a moment. "His adopted sister? The one he writes to all the time?"

"Yes. She's moved back into the city. He's invited her over tonight so we'll finally get a chance to meet her."

"Wow. I wonder what she's like. I've seen some of the pictures Peter has, but I can't wait to talk to her in person. Besides," she added mischievously, "it'll give me the opportunity to get some dirt on Peter."

"Kelly, I'm shocked." Annie giggled, "Let me know what you find out."

Kelly smiled. "I will."

"I'll be in the kitchen. Be a dear, and answer the door, will you?" Annie left the room.

Kelly was about to say, "The door?" when the doorbell rang. "You are spooky, Mom." She heard her mom laugh. Opening the door, Kelly smiled widely. "LoSi, hi. You're the first to arrive. Please, come in." She ushered in the one called the Ancient.

"Ah, young Kelly Blaisdell. It is a pleasure to see you again. I have brought some wine to perhaps serve during dinner. Is your mother here?"

"She's in the kitchen. Shall I show you the way?"

"That will not be necessary. I shall just follow my nose." The old Chinese gentleman began walking down the hallway heading unerringly for the kitchen. Kelly watched, bemused. She heard him call back to her, "You might want to answer the door."

"The do...?" Kelly froze as the doorbell rang once again. "This is getting weird." Todd was at the door.

"Hi." She smiled and glanced around the yard for her sister. "Where's Caroline?"

"She's going to be a bit late. Her boss is holding an employee meeting. She asked me to meet her here."

"Oh, okay. Come on in. Peter's not here, either, but I have some appetizers waiting in the living room. Make yourself at home and I'll let Mom know you're here."

She left Todd in the living room and headed for the kitchen. Hearing voices, she slowed down, then stopped just shy of the kitchen door, listening. Her mom's voice was pitched low. "...didn't say anything, but I could tell he was upset. Do you know why his father left?"

'They're talking about Peter and his father,' thought Kelly, and she eased closer to the door in order to hear better.

"I do not. Peter's father is still not used to sharing his reasons for doing things. I only know that he was going on a journey for an unknown length of time. And that, only because I visited him just before he left." There was a short pause, then, "You may come in, Kelly."

Kelly blinked in shock, then, a bit shamefaced, stepped into the kitchen. "How did you know I was there?"

"When you get to be my age, my dear, you learn all sorts of things."

"What do you need, Kelly?" Annie's voice sounded distracted, as if she was still thinking of other matters.

"Todd's here. Caroline'll be a bit late, she's still at work."

"All right. LoSi is going to help me finish up in here. Please go keep Todd company."

"Yes, ma'am." Kelly left the kitchen, her thoughts awhirl. 'How can a father forget his own son's birthday?' She vowed to herself that she'd do what she could to see that Peter had a wonderful birthday.

Caroline showed up thirty minutes later. "Am I late?"

"No. Peter's still not here."

Caroline checked her watch. "It's only 4:50. If he's not here in half an hour, then we can string him up." Kelly giggled. "Has Todd shown up yet?" Caroline inquired.

"He's in the dining room helping mom by setting the table." Kelly smiled, then heard a car pull up front. "Peter's here!" She rushed to the door, Caroline at her heels. She looked through the glass in the door at the blue Stealth parked at a rakish angle. She smiled to herself. 'Yup, that's Peter.' She watched her brother get out of the car, a bit envious of the grace in his movements. He opened the passenger side and helped a younger woman out. The girl's blonde hair fell below her shoulders and her face was open and friendly. "Oh, good, Cassandra did come."

"Cassandra?" Caroline sounded confused.

Kelly nodded. "You know. Peter's adopted sister. She just moved back to town and Peter invited her over."

The two girls watched Peter and Cassandra move across the yard towards the house. The way they moved together erased any doubts of their being related. Both seemed to glide rather than walk, their attentions equally divided between their surroundings and each other. Even from a distance, you could sense their connection to one another.

Kelly noticed something and blinked. She tugged on her sister's sleeve. "Am I imagining things or are they signing?"

Caroline's voice held a touch of wonder. "They're signing. This should be interesting."

Kelly grinned at the look on Peter's face. "Looks like Peter just remembered himself. He almost looks sick." Cassandra, on the other hand, had a faint look of amusement on her face.

Unable to contain herself a moment longer, Kelly opened the door and threw herself at her big brother. "Peter!"

Peter caught her in a bear hug and spun her around once before setting her down. "Hey, Kelly."

Caroline came up at a more sedate pace and gave Peter a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, Peter." Peter just smiled as he embraced her.

Kelly got a closer look at Cassandra. 'Her eyes are so green.' She noticed that Cassandra had lost her amused look and was now biting her bottom lip gently and glancing at her, Caroline, and the house a bit nervously. Kelly felt sorry for her. "Hi. I'm Kelly Blaisdell, Peter's sister. That's Caroline." She stuck her hand out to the girl.

Pleasure shined in Cassandra's eyes and she shook the offered hand then signed something. Kelly turned to Peter. "What did she say?"

"She said, 'My name's Cassandra Caine. I recognized you from the pictures Peter sent. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.'"

Caroline nudged Peter, a gleam in her eye. "You just remembered about Mom, didn't you?"

Peter nodded miserably. "Think she'll be mad?"

"No, I don't think she will." She slipped an arm around her brother's waist and walked him towards the house.

Kelly watched in fascination. Peter had signed the entire conversation so that Cassandra would know what was going on, but he didn't even seem aware of doing so. Cassandra caught Kelly's eye and gave the younger girl a wink. Kelly smiled and took one of Cassandra's hands and began leading her towards the house. She turned to Cassandra, then frowned. "Hey, Peter, how am I going to talk to Cassandra about you if you have to be there to translate?"

She heard Peter chuckle and saw Cassandra smile, "She can lipread and can write down her responses. Just don't tell each other all my secrets, okay?"

Kelly stuck out her tongue. "No promises."

Annie and LoSi were putting the finishing touches on the birthday cake when she heard Kelly enter the kitchen with another. "Mom? Peter's here. I'd like to introduce you to Cassandra Caine. Cassandra, this is my mom, Annie Blaisdell, and LoSi; they call him the Ancient."

"That is because I am so old."

"Kelly, go tell Peter that his room is ready if he wants to stay the night, and that the guest room has been prepared for Cassandra."

"Yes, ma'am, but..."

"Go on. We'll be having dinner soon, so make sure that everything is ready."

Kelly sighed and left the room, leaving Cassandra with Annie and LoSi. Annie held her hands out to the girl. "It's so good to finally meet you, Cassandra." She felt warm hands with slender fingers slide into her own and she gave them a gentle squeeze which was returned. Annie smiled when the girl took her hand and placed it against her cheek, giving Annie permission to "see" her face using her fingertips. "Peter told me that yesterday was your twenty-third birthday." She felt the girl's head nod up and down. "Did you do anything special?" She felt the cheek rise in a smile and an even firmer nod. Annie smiled herself then added, "You're a quiet one, aren't you?"

In response, she felt the girl frown a bit, then Cassandra took both of Annie's hands and placed them over her mouth. Annie felt the girl shake her head. Then her hands were placed over the girl's ears, and again the shake of her head. It took LoSi to make Annie understand. "I believe that she is trying to say that she cannot hear nor speak. Correct?"

There was a slight hesitation, then Cassandra nodded her head. Annie tilted her head. "Then how...?" She trailed off when Cassandra gently brushed one finger across her lips. "Lip reading." Another nod.

Annie could feel the air moving in front of her face and assumed that Cassandra was signing. For one of the few times in her life, Annie cursed being blind. She heard LoSi's musical voice. "You wish paper and pencil? That will not be necessary. I would be honored to translate for you."

Annie smiled when she heard Cassandra blow a kiss. The Ancient was definitely a charmer. "She says, 'I can not believe that I am actually meeting you. Peter has told me so much, that at times, I felt I had another family."

Annie smiled warmly, reached for a chair and got comfortable. She motioned for the others to do the same. "I've heard quite a bit about you, too. Though, forgive me, Peter didn't say anything about you being deaf and mute."

She could imagine the smile on Cassandra's face. "Then we are even for I only found out that you were blind on the drive over."

Annie leaned back, a fond smile on her face. "That's one of the things I love about Peter. He sees others as people, not as labels." Annie heard quiet footsteps and recognized her son's unique scent. "Hello, Peter."

She heard the smile in his voice as he walked over and kissed her cheek. "Hi, Mom." There was a brief pause, then, "You're not angry with me, are you?"

"No. A bit surprised, but not angry." Peter sighed with relief. Annie ruffled her son's soft hair. "Come on, let's have dinner." She shooed Peter and Cassandra out of the kitchen while she and LoSi prepared to serve.

Dinner at the Blaisdell's was an elaborate and exciting affair. 'I should come by more often,' LoSi thought. He was thoroughly enjoying himself amid the bustle and conversation that rang through the house.

To the delight of everyone-except perhaps Peter- Kelly, Caroline, and Cassandra took turns tormenting Peter by recalling some of his past exploits. LoSi gleefully translated for Cassandra, grinning as Peter squirmed uncomfortably in his chair and, at times, turned red from embarrassment.

"If you weren't family..." Peter mock growled after a particularly funny story.

Cassandra tossed her head, her blonde hair flying. "You couldn't do anything if you tried. I've been practicing."

Peter shook his head, a grin upon his face. "I noticed."

As the evening progressed, LoSi kept a careful eye on young Peter Caine's emotional state. 'I would have thought that Peter would be more depressed - even though surrounded by loved ones. Not that I am complaining, it is wonderful that he is able to enjoy himself. I just wonder how he is maintaining his high spirits. He has always been one to brood over the sorrows in life and having both his fathers gone would normally have left him extremely disturbed.'

A few moments later, Cassandra reached over and lightly touched Peter on the wrist. LoSi's eyes widened as he sensed Peter's chi strengthen. Peter smiled at Cassandra and for the first time, LoSi caught a glimpse of just how strong their bond to one another was. 'Beyond friendship, beyond family. It is a joining of spirits that occurs because of some shared traumatic experience.' LoSi was saddened that such an experience had marred young Caine's life, but glad that the bond created was so strong. 'He needs that strength.' He wondered how it came about, but sensed today was not the time to ask about it.

Both Kelly and Caroline left the table and headed for the kitchen. Peter was talking to Annie, so LoSi caught Cassandra's eye and signed, "They are getting the cake now." His heart warmed as she smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling.

The girls reentered the room holding the cake between them - fifty candles ablaze. LoSi's smile widened at Cassandra's reaction as she got a good look at the writing on the cake, "Happy Birthday Cassandra and Peter." He and Annie had decided that it would be nice to include Cassandra. 'After all,' he thought, 'she is family. And family is very important.'

Peter grinned at his sister, then spoke to his mom, "Thanks, Mom. It's great."

Annie smiled. "Blow out the candles before we set off the smoke alarm."

Exchanging looks, Peter and Cassandra half stood from their chairs, leaned over the table and were about to blow out the candles when Kelly burst out, "Wait, don't forget to make a wish!" They paused a moment, eyes locked together, nodded, then blew out all fifty candles. Everyone cheered and the two sat down, silly grins of embarrassment on their faces. "So, what did you wish for?" Kelly asked.

Peter shook his head, "If I told you, it wouldn't come true." Kelly began pestering Peter, trying to find out - but he only smiled and served the cake.

Cassandra turned to Annie and began signing. LoSi translated. "Cassandra says, 'Thank you, Mrs. Blaisdell. You have no idea how much this means to me.'"

Annie smiled and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You're welcome, Cassandra. Any time. And please, call me Annie."

Cassandra shook her head. "But you did not have to include me. This is Peter's celebration. You do not even know me."

Peter broke in. "You aren't exactly a stranger to them. I talk about you all the time."

Cassandra blushed. "As much as you talked about them to me?" Peter nodded, while the Blaisdell females looked curious, wondering what he had said about them.

"Besides," LoSi added, "this would have been done regardless of whether they knew you or not, for you are family."

Cassandra looked shocked. "Honestly?"

Annie nodded. "We Blaisdells believe strongly in family."

LoSi happened to be looking at Peter at that moment and saw him freeze for a heartbeat, several emotions flickering across his expressive face before the young detective hid them again. The Ancient thought he caught both anger and sadness in his eyes before they were wiped away. He sighed to himself. 'Very rarely do you upset me, Kwai Chang Caine. But now, you have done so.'

"So do the Forresters." Cassandra smiled up at Peter. "And us Caines."

Peter returned her smile, his hazel eyes sparkling, and LoSi sighed to himself once again, heartened that there was at least one person who could keep Peter out of his depressions with little trouble. The phone rang and Peter rose to his feet. "I'll get it."

"Thank you, Hon," Annie replied.

Peter strode across the room and lifted the receiver. "Blaisdell residence." A slow smile spread across his face and his eyes lit up. "Paul!"

LoSi watched in interest as the rest of Paul Blaisdell's family abandoned their desserts and swarmed around Peter, all talking excitedly at once. "How is he?" "Can I talk to him?" "When will he be home?" Peter was listening intently, his smile never diminished as he deftly dodged his sisters' and mom's questing hands. "How have you been Paul? ... That's great. ... Terrific, now that you've called. ... Mom and the girls, Todd, LoSi, and Cassandra. ... Yeah, that's right," Peter turned to Cassandra and gave a big smile. Cassandra, who had been watching intently, grinned back, understanding the general flow of the conversation. Peter returned his attention to the phone, "Yes, sir. ... Yes, sir, I will. Would you like to talk to Mom?" Peter smiled again and gave Annie the phone. "He's all yours." Peter maneuvered his way back to his seat.

"Your foster father is well?" LoSi asked.

"Yes. He should be home soon. Called to wish me a happy birthday." Peter began signing to Cassandra about the phone call and LoSi turned his attention to Annie and the girls. Both Caroline and Kelly briefly spoke with their father, beautiful smiles lighting up their faces, before returning the phone to Annie and reclaiming their seats.

"You look happy," Cassandra commented. Peter just nodded and grinned. Kelly and Caroline decided to tell their "new" sister more about the family and kept Peter busy translating for them all.

LoSi watched as Annie turned her back slightly towards the others, a frown creasing her forehead. Though she pitched her voice low, LoSi had no trouble discerning Annie's words. "No. He didn't come. ... I don't know where he went. He left a couple of days ago. ... No. Even LoSi doesn't know. ... Surprisingly well. Cassandra is a great calming influence on him." She smiled suddenly. "Remember how surprised we were when we found out that Peter had forgotten to tell his teacher that I was blind? Well, he's done it again, only this time to and about Cassandra. She's deaf and mute, communicates through sign language. ... No, I didn't know he knew how to sign either. ... She's wonderful. A very intelligent and thoughtful girl. I wish you were here to meet her." Another smile lit her face, then, "When will you be home? ... That soon? That's wonderful, darling. ... Yes. I will. ... I love you. ... Bye." She returned to the table. "Dad will be home in two days."

"All right!" exclaimed Kelly, the youngest Blaisdell practically bouncing in her seat.

"His business went well?" Caroline's voice was filled with concern.

"Yes, he said not to worry."

Peter rose from his seat, walked over to his mother and embraced her. He kissed the top of her head and lead her to her seat. "That's wonderful, Mom."

The rest of the evening passed quickly.

LoSi kissed Annie on the cheek. "Thank you for inviting me into your home. It was an honor to join in your special celebration."

"I hope you will come by more often, LoSi. I enjoy your company."

"As do I yours." He made his way to the door; Peter accompanied him. "Thanks for coming, LoSi. It meant a lot to me."

"You are quite welcome, Peter. I am sorry your father could not make it as well."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is. He's probably out saving the world from some evil influence." The words were not said bitterly, but with a certain resignation.

"Peter. Phone!" Kelly's voice floated out to them.

"Coming!" he shouted back.

LoSi put a hand on Peter's shoulder before the young man could leave and gave it a squeeze. "Happy Birthday, Peter." The Ancient noticed that there was still some sadness in his eyes, but the evening's festivities and company had gone a long way to renew Peter's spirit.

Peter returned the grasp. "You have a way home? It's a heck of a long walk."

"Yes, my friends should be here any moment. You had best answer your telephone call."

"Goodnight, LoSi. Thanks again." Peter reentered the house.

LoSi had only taken a few steps down the walkway when the door reopened behind him. Turning, he saw Cassandra standing in the doorway. She closed the door gently behind her and walked up beside him. "Leaving so soon?" she signed with a grin. "And without even saying a proper goodbye." She playfully shook her finger at him.

LoSi bowed, then signed, "Forgive me. I had no wish to offend you." Cassandra smiled at him, leaned forward and impulsively kissed him on the cheek. LoSi blushed. "What was that for?"

Cassandra shrugged, Caine style. "No reason. I'm just glad I got to meet you. I hope I see you again. Bye."

LoSi watched the young woman whirl about and go back inside. He stood a moment in thought. "Bloody marvelous!"

August 23, 1994

The next afternoon, Cassandra was sitting by the large windows facing the front of the house, sipping hot tea, and waiting for Peter to return. Just as the party had broken up, Peter had been called in for back up. 'Doesn't that boy "ever" go off duty?' Cassandra had opted to remain with the Blaisdell's for the night, rather than have Peter go out of his way to drop her off at home. "She can sleep in your old room," Annie had informed Peter.

"Besides," Kelly had piped in with a wicked gleam in her eye, "Caroline and I haven't told her everything about you, yet." Peter had groaned at that, but apparently decided that silence was the better part of valor, for he only kissed them all goodnight and left.

It was nearing three in the afternoon when Cassandra noticed Peter's blue Stealth pull into the drive, followed by a bright green Corsair. She put down her tea and went outside. Peter got out of his car looking tired, a bit tense, but satisfied. "So, did you catch the bad guys?"

Peter grinned. "As Kermit would say, 'Oh yeah.'"

'Speaking of,' she thought as the enigmatic Detective Kermit Griffin stepped out of his car and joined them. "Good afternoon, Detective," she mouthed and signed, giving a half bow.

Equally formally, Kermit bowed as well. "Miss Caine. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine, sir."

Peter laughed, the last of the tension draining from him. "Is Mom or the girls around?"

Cassandra shook her head and led the two men inside. "Caroline had to go to work. Annie had some errands to run, so Kelly took her. I opted to stay here and hoped you'd get back soon." She studied the two men. "You both look exhausted. You should get some sleep."

Peter chuckled. "You're probably right." She gave him a look. "Okay, okay, I know you're right." He threw his hands up in surrender.

Kermit broke in. "However, there is no rest for the weary, for we are all cordially invited to Chandler's tonight for a party."

Cassandra hid a smile as Peter blinked, looking confused. "Party? What party? Party for who?"

"A party for you, dear boy. The entire gang will be there, so wake up."

"You shouldn't have gone to all the trouble, Kermit."

"What trouble? We all practically live there anyway, we don't really need an excuse to have some fun. Seriously though, why not?" He slid his glasses down a bit to look him in the eye. "You're worth it." He pushed them back up his nose with a grin and clasped Peter's shoulder briefly.

Cassandra smiled at the shocked look on Peter's face. 'He's always had trouble recognizing his own worth. I'm glad he had friends like Kermit to make him see it.'

Kermit was still talking. "...drop by Cassandra's place so she can change, then by yours. Sound good?"

"How about this? I have a couple of errands to run. Why don't you take Cassandra back to her place and I'll meet you at Chandler's around six."

Cassandra exchanged glances with Kermit. "All right," she signed. "At six, then. Don't be late."

Peter smiled. "I'll be there. Don't worry."

Cassandra kissed Peter's cheek and watched him leave. She wrote a quick note to Kelly to let her know what was going on, then she left with Kermit.

(on to part three)


	3. Chapter 3

**Birthdays 3**

Returning to his apartment for the first time in days, Peter juggled several packages in his arms as he tried to get out his keys. 'I sure could use forty winks about now.' He stifled a yawn. 'A cold shower will have to suffice.' He glanced at his watch. 'A _quick_ cold shower.' Peter put the key to the door and blinked in surprise as the contact caused it to swing open a bit. His exhaustion left him in a rush of adrenaline. Peter quickly ducked away from the door, put the packages down, and drew his gun. He listened intently, but heard nothing. Counting silently to himself, he shoved the door open fully and rolled through the door, coming to his feet in a fighter's crouch. His eyes flickered across the room, noting that nothing was obviously missing. He quickly searched the kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom and closets for any hidden intruders. Nothing. Returning to the main room, Peter saw a large box on the dining table. He narrowed his eyes and cautiously went closer to examine it. 'All right,' he thought, 'what kind of nasty surprise is in store for me this time?' Hardly daring to breathe, the young detective ghosted up to the table. Peter instantly relaxed when he noticed an envelope lying on top of the package and recognized his father's flowing script. "To My Son, Peter."

Peter fingered the edge of the envelope as he holstered his weapon. Then, before he forgot, he brought his packages inside and closed and locked the door. Setting the packages aside, Peter picked up the envelope again and stood staring at it for a moment. A tumult of emotions rushed over him. Anger, which was quickly chased by shame, then sadness, and finally an intense curiosity. Peter opened the envelope and pulled out a single piece of paper covered in his father's neat handwriting.

It read:

_My Dearest Son,_

_Each year, upon this day more than any other, I have reflected upon the joy and happiness I experienced on the day of your birth. Never had I been so happy as to hold you as you drew your first breath in this lifetime. In the years that I wandered, believing you to be dead, this day was held in even greater regard. I spent them remembering the few precious years I had you with me, wishing there had been more. And for that moment, you were again with me, alive and well and happy. I have found you once more, and my heart is again filled with joy, a feeling I had thought lost to me forever. I wish I could have been with you during those years, but I comfort myself with the knowledge that you were well cared for and loved within the Blaisdell home. Cherish them, for a man with two families is a man doubly blessed. As you celebrate the day of your birth, know that I love you deeply and that I keep you in my heart always._

_Your Father  
><em>

_Kwai Chang Caine_

Peter reread the note, the last of his anger disappearing. He sighed to himself and smiled wistfully. 'I, too, wish we had had more years, Pop.' He put the note down and ripped the brown paper wrapping off the package. He untied the string that kept the box beneath it closed and gave a silent whistle in surprise. Inside was an entire outfit: a shirt and pants made of some soft material, a sash for a belt, and calf-length boots. Peter stared in awe at the gift, hardly daring to touch them in fear of spoiling them, 'You don't go half-way, do you, Pop?' He sent a heartfelt thanks to wherever his father was, and thought he felt an answering reply. Reverently, he lifted the box and took it to his bedroom to get ready to meet Cassandra, Kermit, and the others.

Cassandra nervously straightened her dark blue silk blouse. She had decided on a knee-length black skirt that was fitted, but still full enough to fight in if necessary. She grinned wryly to herself. 'After what happened the last time I was here, I'm not going to take any chances.' Kermit had tried to introduce her to a group of Peter's colleagues, but Cassandra still felt extremely out of place despite the warm welcomes, especially since it was so difficult to communicate with them. 'Face it, Cassandra, you're nervous _because_ it's so difficult.' She sighed to herself. 'I'll feel better when Peter's here.' She gave herself a mental shake, annoyed at the self-deprecating thoughts and glanced around the room. She smiled as she caught Mary Margaret's gaze, raising her glass in recognition, glad she had met the fiery detective. She also nodded to the gentleman whom Kermit said was the precinct's resident electrical guru. 'Detective Blake, I believe is his name.' When she had mentioned her interest in speaking with him, Kermit had promised to arrange a meeting.

Her gaze skipped over to the hyperkinetic guy that Peter had spoken to the other night. Kermit stepped over to her and seemed to notice her stare. He got her attention, then said, "That is Nicky Elder, the precinct's medical examiner and perhaps the only man even more hyper than Peter." Cassandra grinned and glanced at the door for the fifth time is as many minutes. Kermit got her attention again. "Relax. He'll be here. I've yet to see him show up to anything on time."

Cassandra pulled out a small notebook and pencil from her purse and wrote, "Yes, but Peter has a tendency to attract trouble. I'll feel better when I can see him."

Kermit made a face, but agreed. "If he doesn't show in the next fifteen minutes, I'll give his cel-phone a ring."

"Thank you." Kermit moved off in search of drinks and Cassandra, after putting the notebook away, drifted over to the corner of the bar where she had a good view of the entire establishment. Five minutes later, movement by the front door caught her attention. She looked over and smiled as she recognized Peter's lean form. She whistled silently. 'Wow! Peter looks GOOD!'

Peter was wearing a long sleeved, black silk shirt that was embroidered at collar and cuff with flames of red and orange thread. The sleeves billowed a bit before gathering tightly at the wrists and the shirt accentuated his broad chest and shoulders without being too tight. It was tucked into a pair of black cotton fighting pants, that, while not tight, still hugged his slender waist and hips. The pants were in turn tucked into a pair of black calf-high boots made of supple leather.

'Yum. Oh, Peter.' Cassandra raised a hand to draw his attention and smiled softly as Peter looked up and waved to her. She watched as he gracefully glided through the evening throng at Chandler's and made his way towards her and the rest of the party. He seemed unaware of the affect he was having on the females in the room. Cassandra just smiled to herself.

"Cassandra, you look lovely," he sighed, then took her hand and kissed it.

Cassandra felt her face warm and signed back, "Flirt. I bet you say that to all the girls." She stepped back a bit to take in Peter's finery up front. "I may be lovely, but you, dear boy, are absolutely gorgeous." Cassandra bit her lip to keep from grinning when a look of pleased self-consciousness flashed across his handsome face.

Kermit walked up. "Peter, we were afraid you wouldn't make it."

"Wouldn't miss this for anything." The two clasped hands.

Kermit glanced at Peter's clothes. "Nice threads."

Peter ran a hand down the front of his shirt, a joyful smile on his face. "They are a gift from my father."

Kermit pulled his glasses down to the end of his nose and looked over them incredulously. "Caine? I was under the impression that he had no money. I wonder how he was able to afford it?"

Peter shifted on his feet, a strange emotion crossing his face. "So do I, but it is impolite to ask the giver about the worth or acquirement of a gift."

"Shaolin philosophy?"

Peter shook his head. "Chinese culture."

Kermit pushed his glasses back up. "Well, you can't ask, but there's nothing keeping me from asking. Sides, I could use a new outfit anyway," he grinned. He glanced at Cassandra, then back at Peter. "Let me get you a drink before everyone mobs you to wish you a happy birthday." With that, he walked off.

Cassandra watched him go, grateful for the chance to speak privately with Peter. She tugged lightly on his sleeve to gain his attention. "You're not mad at him anymore."

Peter seemed to understand. "No. I'm not."

She smiled, pleased, then a genuine grin spread across her face making her look positively puckish as she glanced quickly around the bar over his shoulder. "Do you know how much of a stir you created with that outfit?"

"What do you mean?"

She motioned with a nod to the rest of the bar. "The women are looking at you like you're a prime steak and they haven't eaten in weeks!" Cassandra clucked her tongue as Peter ducked his head and blushed. "Don't tell me you're shy? I thought you liked this kind of attention?" she teased.

Peter shrugged. "Usually. Just... not tonight. Have you met everyone yet?"

Cassandra allowed him to change the subject. "Not everyone. I was waiting for you."

Peter offered her his arm. "Then allow me to introduce you."

She curtsied. "Thank you, kind sir," she signed, and took his arm. She finally got to meet the rest of Peter's friends, but was even happier that Peter was finally out of his earlier depression. Later that evening, something occurred to her and she drew Peter off to the side. "Peter, why were you so late tonight? Kermit and I were getting concerned."

Peter smiled softly. "I called Mom to let her know that my father hadn't forgotten my birthday. I know she was concerned." At Cassandra's puzzled look, he explained. "I overheard some of her conversation with Paul." Peter shrugged. "Then I stopped by the Ancient's." He leaned in conspiratorially. "He was concerned, too."

Shaking her head in admiration, Cassandra leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Happy Birthday, Peter."

Peter embraced her and the two turned their attentions back to the party.

Cassandra unlocked the door of her apartment and turned to Peter. "I had a wonderful time," she signed. She took in Peter's features once more, affectionately. His soft brown hair was a bit of a mess, his colleagues seemed fond of ruffling his hair, and they took every opportunity to do so. 'Especially the women,' Cassandra noted with a grin. Peter had taken it all with good grace, only rolling his eyes every now and then at the attention. His hazel eyes were bright and the sadness that had lurked in the back of them was completely banished now. Cassandra sighed in contentment. "I know you're back on duty tomorrow, so when can we get together again?"

"Wednesday? Dinner?"

She smiled. "Perfect."

"Goodnight, Cassandra. Pleasant dreams."

Cassandra stood on tiptoe and softly kissed his cheek. "Night, Peter. Drive safely." She watched him give a final wave, then entered her apartment and locked the door behind her. She began turning off lamps and closing the window blinds as she made her way towards her bedroom. 'I'm so glad I found Peter again. I almost forgot how much I enjoy his company.' She set the alarm on her clock and checked that her computer was turned off. 'All that bitterness he carried around at the orphanage seems to have disappeared. Or' she qualified, 'has at least been greatly reduced. I'm glad he found his father again. Not many are so lucky.' She thought a moment of her own parents before banishing the uneasy memories. She brushed her teeth and removed her make up, then headed for her bedroom. She undressed and quickly pulled her nightgown over her head. 'I can't wait to meet his father. Peter's told me so much about him. To finally be reunited again, after all these years, must be one heck of an experience.' She turned the light off and slid beneath the covers. She had been astounded at the reactions of Peter's friends when Peter showed off the finery his father had given him. 'The whole room seemed to relax. I think Caine would have been in some real trouble if he'd forgotten Peter's birthday. His friends would have lynched him! Peter has some good friends watching out for him. Glad I met them.' She snuggled down into her pillows. She remembered Peter's excitement and happiness at the party. 'It's so nice to see Peter smile,' came one last thought before Cassandra fell asleep, a look of contentment on her face.

The End.


End file.
